Fluid-treatment medical apparatus



Jiily 30, 1 929. G. w. ELMWALL FLUID TREATMENT MEDICAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 13. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvNToR ELIETAVEZ WALFFHEI ELMWALL.

July 30, 1929. G. w. ELMWALL 1,722,282

FLUID TREATMENT M EDIGAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

EUSTAVE WALFRIU ELI IWALL \1 ,0. f K 7 mmaii Patented July 30, 1929.

-,u-Nirsn stars-s GUSTAVE WALFRID ELMWALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' FLUID-TREATMENT MEDICAL APPARATUS.

Application filed January 13, 1926. Serial No. 81,083.

I This invention relates to medical apparatus and more especially to fluid treatment medical apparatus.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide means for the treatment of the human body by pressure fluids; it being understood that the pressure of said fluids may be greater or less than atmospheric pressure.

The especial purpose of this invention is to provide mechanical apparatus of improved form for the creation and application of such pressure fluids.

The use of fluids in ct form, usually at pressures greater than atmospheric, for cleansing, is well known to the art; for such uses it is'a purpose of this invention to provide improved apparatus, and to provide this apparatus in embodiment capable of further functions and uses of novel nature. Example of the foregoing may be found in such operation as drying the human skin: Fans and thelike for such drying are well known. 'l he herein disclosed apparatus is not only capable of accomplishing the drying but may also be operated to remove dirt and blemish therefrom, providing means for the reduction and removal of blackheads. pimples and the like. A further example of the novel and useful improvements provided lies in apparatus for treating and evacuating the body cavities. cleaning the ca rs, eyes, and nose. for removing pus and phlegm from the throat or cars. and for removing dead and diseased flesh and matter as from boils, carbuncles, and the like. Syringes have been commonly used in the past for such purposes but have failed in their purpose in that the pressure and fluid movement produced has been intermittent and non-continuous so that the-suffering of the patient was needlessly increased, while difii culty of control and lack of power prevented the accomplishment of the best possible. re-

sults. The herein disclosed means will be seen to be continuous in operation, to produce a continuous fluid movement and to becapatale of the most delicate control, thus provid ing means'fo'r the purposes described and for certain oth'er'and beneficial results.

It is also an object of this invention to provide'suitable unitary mounting means for the mechanism and control apparatus whereby "the: same may be manipulated with a minimum of effort and by a single operator if required.

Briefly described the apparatus shown for purpose of illustration of one embodiment of my invention consists of a novel pumping mechanism provided with valves and valve control devices of simplified form, driven bv a suitable power unit such as an electric m6- tor of the controllable speed type, having a suitable separator for cleansing the fluid pumped and various other implements all of which are mounted upon, or within, a single cabinet. This cabinet unit taken together with the applicatorinstruments, instrument handles, instrument controls and the like, which it is also an object of this invention to supply, forms a preferred means for performing my invention; however as the description proceeds it will be manifest to those skilled in the art. that while the parts mentioned all contribute to the production of an improved result, certain of the parts in themselves provide means for accomplishing improved re-. sults when used alone or in other arrangement or embodin'ient than that now shown.

It is, of course, also an objectof this invention to provide the necessary applicator in strument-s in such form that the application nozzle may be of any desiredform, be of int n-changeable nature, and be so attached to the pumping mechanism proper that one of the operators hands may easily manipulate it to full advantage and at the same time op? crate a supplementary fluid controller conveniently mounted therein and thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings;

Fig. l is a front elevation'of one embodiment of my invention the complete'unit being shown.

Fig. 2 isa plan view of the pumping machinery shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away for purpose of description. 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a detail of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 certain parts-being treated asinFig. 2. N

Fig. 4 is a detail of the valve actuating cam.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectionof the separator employed.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation instrument.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the detail shown in Fig. 6 the lower part being broken away for space reasons.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of instrument nozzle.

Fig. 9 is also a side elevation and serves to show a further modification of instrument nozzle, the elongated stems of both this modification' and of thatshown in Fig. 8 being broken away.

of the applicator Fig. 10 is an elevation of another modification of nozzle detail embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 1; legs 10 serve to support framework 12 mounting motor base 14, separator base 16, apparatus cabinet having doors 18 and 19, an apparatus drawer 20, and pumping mechanism mounting 22.

Motor 24 through pulley 26 and belt 28 drives the pumping apparatus arranged upon mounting 22. This motor is preferably of such type that its speed, rotation, and operation, may be controlled by handwheel 30 or other control apparatus well known to those skilled in electrical arts.

The pumping mechanism has a base 34, mounting crank shaft bearings 36 and 38, pump cylinders 40 and 42 and a rigid support for the crosshead guides 44 and 45 as well as for a push rod and valve stem guide 46 and 48 together with the other valve gear and cylinder connections.

Rotatably mounted in bearings 36 and 38 is a crank shaft 50 provided with cranks 51 and 52 preferably set at 180 degree displacement and provided with suitable crank pins 54. Crank shaft 50 also mounts a suitable drive wheel 58 and cam hubs 60 and 61 all of which are preferably keyed or otherwise secured against rotation upon the shaft and are fixed for rotation therewith. Engaging each of the cam hubs through the medium of an adjusting screw 62 is a cam 64 which serves to actuate the pump valve gear through the medium of cam rollers 65 and push rods 66 and 67 sliding in guides 46 and 48. The inner ends 66" and 67 a butt against valve stems 68 and 69 of suction valves 70 and 71. Valve stems 68 and 69 are preferably provided with suitable springs 7 3 which force these springs into continuous contact with the ends of push rods 66 and 67 whereby cam rollers 65 are retained in continuous contact with the outer periphery of cams 64 and whereby valves 70 and 71 attain an open position when not forced to their seats by the cams and push rods.

For the operation of discharge valves 75 and 76 cross connecting arms 78 and 79 secured to push rods 66 and 67 respectively are provided. Arms 78 and 79 engage looseiv with valve stems 80 and 81 of the discharge valves 75 and 76. Operation of these valves is secured through the use of tappets 83 and 84 together with inner tappets 85 and 86, a resilient connection being formed by springs 87.

Suction valves 70 and 71 connect through the medium of suitable channels with the cylinders 42 and 40 respectively.

Discharge valves 7 5 and 7 6' are also connected together and to discharge pipe 94 while the cylinder end of these valves are connected through suitable fittings 96 with chan nels 90 and therethrough communicate with the cylinders.

That the discharge valve arrangement may be more clearly understood, this portion of the pumping mechanism is shown separately in Fig. 3 and that the valve action may be plain portions of the valve bodies are broken away in this figure and in Fig. 2. It will be noted that one suction valve and one discharge valve are open at the same time, these valves being on opposite cylinders, but it will be plain that adjustment of the cams 64 will determine the exact timing of these valves relative to each other and to the point in the piston stroke at which they open. Thus by adjustment the effect of the cylinder clearance may be altered. For example, suppose the piston to be making its suction stroke; the pressure in channels 90 will drop but not with sudden change since the fluid in channels 90 must be expanded. As the pressure drops a point is finally reached at which the cylinder pressure exactly equals the suction pipe pressure and by cam adjustment the suction valve may be made to open at just this point, thus avoiding sudden pressure and ve' locity changes in the suction pipe and at the applicator nozzle, a feature very necessary to the comfort of a patient being treated.

The control of suction pipe pressure is also aided by use of a vacuum relief valve 100 at the junction of the cross connection between a the suction valves and suction pipe 102. The valve 100 is preferably of the well known spring loaded relief type opening inward so that fluid admitted to the pump through pipe 102 will be mixed with air taken in through connection 101 when the pressure diilerent'c between the outer air and the pressure within pipe 102 exceeds a maximum fixed by adj ustment of the valve spring through manipulation of a suitable handle 100.

Suction pipe 102 is preferably provided with a direct connection 104 controlled by hand valve 105 and with a separable union 106 whereby the removable separator 108 may be attached or removed for cleaning when desired. This separator 108 preferably consists of a casting having a lower chamber 109 into which the downwardly turned extension 111 of hose connection 112 discharges through a central opening 114 in battle 115 of upper chamber 116 connecting through union 106 with the pump suction pipe. Manifestly any dirt or foreign matter carried by fluid ontering through hose connection 112 will be thrown downward from extension 111 to the bottom of chamber 109 and will there remain while the cleaned drv fluid will pass upward through opening 114 to chamber 116 and thence to the pumping mechanism. The baffie 115 assists in cleaning the fluid while the volume added to the suction line by 01111111 bers 109 and 116 serves to further steady the suction pressure.

Hose 120 may be of flexible metal construction or of sufliciently heavy rubber to resist Collapse and is attached to hos'e connection 112 and to the applicator instrument handle 124 through a screw or slip joint of readily detachable nature and of a character so well known to the art that description herein appears surplusage.

Instrument handle 124 serves to provide a secure hand grip and to mount the instrument nozzle 126 together with a manual control valve 130 normally held open by a spring 132 but capable of being either partially or wholly closed by thumb pressure on lever 13st having a finger piece 136 projecting above the surface of handle 121.

Valve 130 seats over the outer end of branch passage 138 opening into main passage 1 10 communicating with the interior of hose 120. Thus it will be understood that the opening of valve 130 admits air to the pumping mechanism and lowers the suction at the open end 14-0 of nozzle 126, hence thumb pressure on finger piece 186 controls the pressure of suction application and the operator holding handle 124 has perfect control of application.

Nozzle 126 is provided with a sleeve 1 12 detachably engaging a reduced end 125 on handle 12 1. The joint has been shown as of the pressure tight slip type but it will be understood that a threaded joint, or the like, is equally adaptable the requirement being merely for a norn'ially rigid but quickly detachable attachment for nozzle 126. Nozzle 126 is shown as provided with a substantially 0 all open end l-lO surrounded by a smooth bead 111 of such curvature as to slide easily over the skin surface and any irregularities thereon without injury thereto. The elongated oval opening shown is particularly adapted to treatment of large relatively flat skin areas and it will be understood that for smaller areas and for treatment of curved surfaces, the length of the oval will be somewhat diminished and may follow the outline indicated by dotted lines 1 16.

Nozzle 126 is well adapted to treat the outer body surfaces but where the interior of cavities such as the throat, are to be treated a nozzle 150 provided with an elongated neck tube 152 attaching, through the medium of a cap 154: provided with a sleeve 1 12, to the handle 124: after the manner already described for nozzle 126, is employed. Cap 154: is preferably provided with a contractible chuck 155 so that this chuck may also engage the neck 158 of the ear applicator nozzle shown in Fig. 9 or the butt end of hollow needle 160 commonly employed where the skin must be punctured as in the removal of pus and matter from boils and the like. Needle 160 is provided with nozzle openings 162 adjacent its point and may be curved or straight as desired. Ear applicator instruments are preferably curved as shown at 159 and provided with a rounded perforated end 159 which may enter the ear passages.

It will be understood that the instruments just described represent but examples of the many forms which such applicator 'instru ments may assume and to which these instruments are preferably formed for convenient access to the various body cavities and to the walls thereof for the removal of impurities after a similar manner to that incidental to the removal of phlegm from the throat by nozzle 150. Manifestly such instruments in co-operation with the other parts of the invention described herein may be employed to accomplish all of the desirable results set forth and to also be of use for embalming operations and the like wherein movements of fluid are necessary. It will be evident that while in certain instances minus pressures and suction has been referred to this apparatus is equally adaptable for pressures above atmospheric and that by simply connecting hose 120 with the terminus 95 of discharge pipe 91, or by reversing the valve action, positive pressure may be applied to the nozzles thus aiding clearance of passages leading to internal cavities and the like.

Certain other changes and modifications of my invention and of the embodiment thereof are manifestly well within the scope of my invention and the spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In pumping mechanism for medical purposes. cylinders in pairs, a piston in each such cylinder, cranks at substantially 180 degree displacement connected to and operating said pistons, a poppet suction and a poppet discharge valve for each said cylinder, spring means tending to open one of said valves on each cylinder, cams rotating with said cranks, pushrods terminating at one end in roller hearings on said cams and at the other end in abutments in the travel path of the stems of the aforesaid spring operated valves so that said cams through said pushrods control the opening of said spring operated valves, and spring compensated cross connections between the spring operated valves in one cylinder and the nonspring actuated valves in the other cylinder whereby opening and closing of the valves is timed relative to piston movement to permit continuous pumping operation.

2. In pumping mechanism for medical purposes, cylinders in pairs, a piston in each such cylinder, cranks at 180 degree displacement connected with and operating said pistons in timed sequence, poppet suction valves and poppet discharge valves controlling flow to and from each said cylinder, a single pushrod controlling operation of a suction valve on one cylinder and a discharge valve on the other cylinder of the pair, a cam controlling the operation of said pushrod means operating said cam when said cranks are moved and adjustable mechanism controlling the relasuction and discharge valves.

3.111 pumping mechanism for ymedi'cal purposes, a plurality of pumping cylinders each provided Withva poppet suction and a poppetvdischarge valve, cranks ona common crank shaft, pistons operated bysaidcranks in said cylinders through the medium of connecting and piston rods, pushrod means controlling theopening of said valves by spring pressure and positively closing said valves I against said spring pressure, cams operating said pushrod means, cam hubs on 'said shaft, and adjustable means operatively connecting said cams. and cam hubs so that the relative positioning of said-cams and cranks about said shaft and therethrough the relative movement of pistons and valves may be adjusted v for operation when said shaft is rotated. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of August, 1925, at New York, county of New York, State of New York.

G-USTAVE W. ELMWALL. 

